Air Quality Ramifications and Economic Impact Highlight Critical Need for Innovations in Wildfire Detection and Prevention Across High-risk Regions
By: Carsten Brinkschulte
The short-term, disastrous effects of wildfires may be easy to comprehend, but the downstream ramifications that stem from these blistering natural disasters are often overlooked. It’s a brutal reality, and there’s data that proves it.
A new study in Science Advances cites wildfire smoke likely contributed to more than 52,000 premature deaths across the state of California from 2008-2018 — equating to an approximate $480 billion economic impact. Research notes how wildfire smoke particles can surpass usual body defenses and infiltrate lungs, causing detrimental effects and potential health issues like heart attacks, lung cancer and decreased cognitive function.
This alarming data highlights the urgent need for innovative wildfire detection and prevention systems, technology that can stop fires before they reach the uncontrollable phase and mitigate the harmful effects.
Technology Takes Center Stage in Wildfire Defense
Wildfire prevention technology is no longer a nice-to-have additive, but instead, a critical, need-to-have investment on behalf of municipalities, private forestry operations, utility companies, railroads, and more — especially in high-risk areas like the Western United States and Canada. With climate change wreaking havoc on weather systems across the globe, breaking temperature records, and producing wet winters for more vegetation (or fire fuel) that burns quickly over the dry, summer months, changemakers must look to technology to better safeguard their communities.
The market for innovative tech solutions is growing, including numerous options from sensors to cameras and satellites. Depending on the use case, there are pros and cons across the board that key decision-makers must evaluate to best protect the people, animals and natural resources they oversee.
Some key considerations:
- A network of interconnected sensors that can detect specific gases produced by organic combustion can offer an extreme advantage in early fire detection. The proximity of the in-forest setup allows detection of nascent fires long before they grow large enough to be visible through other mechanisms.
- Traditional satellite technology provides an excellent overview for tracking and predicting fire paths, yet they tend to be less effective as a standalone solution for small fires due to high altitude or infrequent passes.
- Cameras can be very useful over large areas, but they often cannot detect fires that may be concealed under tree canopy or during the night.
Regardless of the fire detection modality, it’s imperative we launch into action now with ultra-early, rapid response at the forefront of wildfire conversations.
With precious lives and high-value resources at stake, technology can significantly reduce reaction time, prevent large-scale fires, reduce economic losses and protect the health of those living in these often heavily affected areas.
by Editor